DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-119, September 1, 2001
edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com
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** ANTARCTICA. Hola Nicolás, Exactamente, las noticias son inciertas,
dichos y desmentidos, todo está 'en el aire'. Lo cierto es que la
actual dotación de Base Esperanza estará presente en el Territorio
Antártico hasta mediados de enero del 2002, así que por ende, al
menos hasta esa fecha tendremos garantizada de hecho, la señal de
LRA36 en los 15476 kHz. De hecho, y recién consultados, en Base
Esperanza saben menos que nosotros sobre el tema del cierre. 73's GIB
(Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Aug 31, Conexión Digital via DXLD)
15476, LRA 36 (Cumbre DX follow up). On Aug 16, President Fernando De
la Rua blasted press reports of Argentina closing its Antarctic bases
as false. This was also denied officially by the Argentine Chancellor
Mr. Adalberto Rodríguez Giavarini and the secretary of Military
Affairs of the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Ángel Tello. Of course, all
these they are the official versions; we do not know with certitude
what will happen in the future to LRA36, but meanwhile, we will
continue listening to its signal on 15476. The change of the
Argentine endowment will be as usual, in December 2001. Because of
this, I think that in the meanwhile we will continue listening to
LRA36 up to the end of this year. Maybe in the future we can listen
to LRA36 from Base Marambio or another Argentine Base, if Base
Esperanza is closed, according to the journalistic versions (Barrera,
Aug 29, Cumbre DX via DXLD)
** AUSTRIA. SHAME ON YOU, RADIO AUSTRIA MANAGEMENT, EVEN POOR
COUNTRIES FROM AFRICA OPEARTING THE SW SERVICE & WHY CANT AUSTRIA?
ORF IS THE ONLY WINDOW TO WORLD FOR THE COMMON MAN WHO DOESNT POSSES
THE MODERN DAY AMENITIES LIKE INTERNET & DTH TV. PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER
ARE LISTENENING, DONT THINK IF YOU DOESNT GET A RESPONSE, THEY ARE
NOT LISTENING.
WE DO LISTEN TO YOUR ENGLISH SERVICE WHICH IS REACHER US CLEARER THAN
MANY OTHER STNS, ALTHOUGH WE CANT WRITE YOU ONCE IN A WHILE, WE ARE
LISTENING. FEW OF MANY FRIENDS HERE LISTEN TOO FOR THE PROG "REPORT
FROM AUSTRIA" FOR THE GREAT NEWS THEY PROVIDE ABOUT AUSTRIA, AND THE
CLASSICAL MUSIC YOU OFFER.
WE LISTEN TO YOU
WE WILL CONTINUE TO LISTEN AGAIN, AS BEFORE.
SO PLS DONT STOP YOUR SERVICE, IT WILL BE A SHAME. GREAT SHAME
SO THINK ABOUT IT AND TAKE A WISE DECISON, WE WILL APPRECIATE IT
WITH CONCERN (BAIJU PRABHAKAR, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, to R.
Austria Int`l, cc to DXLD)
** BELARUS. Correction - the correct time for regional programmes of
Radio Homiel, Radio Vitebsk, Radio Brest and Radio Hrodna are (summer
time): 1500-1540/1600 (not only 1500-1540). The duration of the
regional programmes is 40 or 60 minutes. The regional programmes last
60 minutes (not 40), if stations have more informational material,
musical requests, etc. and it's very often the case. Data that
regional programmes are only 40 minutes duration is a few years old
information (Robertas Petraitis, Lithuania, August 16, World DX Club
Contact via DXLD)
** BELGIUM. Listening to Radio Vlaanderen International thru the
World Radio Network, they reported that they too may be terminating
their shortwave services in the near future concentrating on web-
radio (Joseph Miller, MI, Cumbre DX Aug 31 via DXLD)
Le schéma d'émission pour la nouvelle saison de RVI est quasiment
prêt; on finalise les derniers contrats avec les rediffuseurs. Ce
schéma est quasiment identique au précédant avec probablement une
meilleure réception car RVI émettra via des relais en général mieux
situés que les émetteurs de Wavre, pour ce qui est de la couverture
de l'Europe. Pour permettre à ces relais de diffuser tous les
programmes aux heures voulues, RVI modifiera légèrement sa diffusion
satellite. Au lieu de diffuser en stéréo sur Astra et Hotbird, on
passera à deux canaux mono, ce qui permettra d'en consacrer un aux
émissions en néerlandais, et l'autre à celles en anglais, français,
et allemand. Tout ceci signifie également qu'à court terme, les
émetteurs de Wavre seront arrêtés non sans regrets et quelque
nostalgie, mais d'un autre côté, cela confirme que RVI continuera à
émettre en ondes courtes avec une meilleure qualité (RVI 25 août 2001
-- les informations sont issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier
via DXLD)
** BIAFRA [pas]. Entre 1967 et 1970, les différentes religions et les
différences de revenus entre les provinces du Nigeria entrainent une
guerre civile qui oppose les Biafrais (le peuple Ibo chrétien, à
l'est du pays) au reste du Nigeria (principalement musulman).
L'Occident, et notamment la France, l'Angleterre et les États-Unis,
suit de près le conflit (car détenteur de permis d'exploitation du
pétrole sur le sol nigerian). En mai 1967, l'indépendance du Biafra
est proclamée, mais le pouvoir fédéral envoie l'armée et affame le
peuple biafrais, et causant ainsi la mort d'un million de personnes.
Après une guerre de 3 ans, le peuple biafrais, affamé, se rend le 15
janvier 1970. Le Biafra demeure donc une province du Nigeria (Les
informations sont issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via
DXLD)
Checked 12120 during the hour scheduled per DXLD 1-115, at 1919 UT
Sat Sept 1, but could hear nothing but a weak RTTY signal. By
comparison, another Nigerian clandestine, Salama Radio, was booming
in on 15475 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BULGARIA. 15000 01/09 1500 R. BULGARIA - SOFIA KOSTINBROD ID TALK
OM IS NX BULGARO 35543 (BCL Sicilia Club via harmonics yahoogroup via
DXLD)
** BULGARIA? SITE? Eurosonor Radio F/D DJ image card received on
August 23, to reply my email report on August 12, only 11 days! QTH:
Eurosonor Radio, Waldstrasse 30, D-63065 Offenbach, Germany. Email:
radio@eurosonor.de On the backside of the card it says: Dear OM, dear
radio listener. Eurosonor Radio is pleased to confirm your reception
report of our transmission as given below. Thank you for your kind
participation. Hoping that you continue enjoying our programmes, we
look forward to hear from you again. 73+55, kindly regards and happy
listening!
Transmission Date 12-08-01
Transmission Time 16:20 UTC
Freq./Power/Mod. 9980/50/AM
Transm. Location SE-Europe [N.B. -gh]
QSL#/Date of Issue 204 15.8.01
Signature Leilli (Qiao Xiaoli, China, Cumbre DX Aug 31 via DXLD)
** CANADA. FLASH: CBC commissioned study says RCI should not be
integrated into the domestic service Details:
This item on a report prepared a few years back on the operations of
RCI is now posted on the RCI Action Committee web site at:
http://www.geocities.com/rciaction
It seems to confirm what so many people already knew about RCI. It
seems to me that someone must have forgotten all about this report
and its findings and recommendations, given the recent and on-going
developments at RCI. It does make for interesting reading.
(Sheldon Harvey, Aug 31, swprograms via DXLD)
** CANADA. I returned to the 0100 UT edition of Canada Today for the
first time in a long time, only to learn that that edition will be
chopped from now until the expected program reforms in October.
Wojtek Gwiazda mentioned that as of next week, we will hear Canada
Today hosted by Jim Craig. I suppose this basically means RCI will
only produce one hour of original English language programming
weekdays with three repeats, with the first run at 1800 UT (Africa),
then 2000 (Europe), 0100 (Americas) and 0200 (India). I wonder if
this is also happening to the French version, Canada en direct.
Please correct me if I have misunderstood (Ricky Leong, Aug 31,
swprograms via DXLD)
** CANADA. CBC/RCI preview for Monday, Sept 3: CONNECTIONS, 2330-2359
UT on 6175, 9590 9755 13670 and 17695 kHz. Tonight on Connections,
"Voices From the Dust Bowl" -- a documentary made from vintage,
Depression-era recordings of the desperate Americans who left their
barren Midwest farms for the promised land of California (via Joe
Buch, swprograms via DXLD)
** CANADA. A-01 amended August 15, 2001, FINAL SCHEDULE FOR FOREIGN
RELAYS FROM 16.08 TO 27.10: [to USA u.o.s., English u.o.s. from gh
memory]
RTE 1829:30-1859:30 13640 250 277
CRI 0100-0159 9790 250 277
CRI 0300-0359 9560 250 176 LAm [Spanish]
CRI 0359-0459 9560 250 253
CRI 1200-1259 11855 250 240 [Chinese]
CRI 2300-2359 13680 250 285
DW 0100-0145 6040 250 253
DW 0300-0345 9535 250 277
DW 0359-0559 9640 250 268 [German]
DW 1400-1659 17875 250 240 [German]
KBS 0959-1059 11715 250 176 LAm [Spanish]
KBS 1059-1159 9650 250 240 [Korean, English]
NHK 0000-0059 6145 250 240
NHK 0159:30-0359 5960 250 240 [Japanese]
NHK 0459-0559 6110 250 253
NHK 1058-1159 6120 250 240
NHK 1300-1459 11705 250 240 [Japanese]
NHK 2200-2259 6110 250 240 [Japanese]
ROI 1500-1559 17865 250 272 [German, English]
RMC 0300-0320 6040 250 240 [Arabic]
9755 250 240
RNW 1027-1225 5965 250 240
RNW 1427-1625 15220 250 285
RNW 0130-0225 6010 250 240 [Dutch]
RSI 0200-0259 9755 250 240 [Swedish, English]
RSI 0259-0359 11895 250 272 [Swedish, English]
VOV 0100-0259 9525 250 212 [English, Vietnamese]
VOV 0300-0359 9795 250 212 [Spanish, English]
VOV 0400-0459 9795 250 277 [Vietnamese]
(RCI Engineering Aug 15, retyped by gh for DXLD; complete)
** CANADA. The CRTC has approved the licenses of all four CBC/Radio-
Canada domestic radio networks ONLY FOR SIX YEARS.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2001/DB2001-529.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2001/DB2001-530.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2001/DB2001-531.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2001/DB2001-532.htm
Some puzzling data, though... From the renewal of CBC Radio Two:
The Commission found that most stations were in compliance with the
conditions of licence. In the case of CBM-FM Montréal, however, the
Commission’s analysis revealed that the station had failed to comply
with the condition of licence requiring that 50% or more of the
popular (category 2) musical selections broadcast each week be
Canadian.
Does the local Radio Two Montreal station have programs that
broadcast pop music? Montreal's R2 programming is not much different
from those of other Radio Two stations... (Ricky Leong, QU, Aug 31,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. (Cumbre DX follow up) Last Dec, we
reported that they planned to use shortwave but would need a new
transmitter. Per Mike Kuenzli, they are still only on FM, but they
hope to receive a shortwave transmitter next year (DIRECT Johnson Aug
26, Cumbre DX via DXLD)
** CHINA. Found the page where CRI gives its English frequencies, but
it too is out-of-date and incomplete. The RCI relays have not been
updated, and not all the Cuban relays are shown:
http://www.cri.com.cn/english/aboutus/ab_freq.htm (gh, DXLD)
** COSTA RICA. RFPI frequency status: 21815-USB is now back on, at
1200-0200; 15049 is 24h; 7445 had audio problems and will not be back
on before James Latham returns from South Africa (Joe Bernard, RFPI
Mailbag Aug 31 first airing at 2000, notes by gh for DXLD) Or that`s
what I thought he said, but UT Sept 1 around 0400, 7445 was audible,
not 15049 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. List of Cuban MW stations:
There's one - extracted from FCC database - at:
http://davidtanny.8m.com/03facu.htm I guess the FCC datebase is based
on official information, so it might be same as in WRTH? 73 de PUL,
(Pentti Lintujärvi, Helsinki, Finland Webmaster of 1000 Lakes DX Page
at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/3232/dx.htm and
dxlinks.com at http://www.dxlinks.com/ hard-core-dx via DXLD)
** ERITREA [non]. CLANDESTINE from GERMANY to ERITREA 15670 Voice of
Democratic Eritrea 1702 talk by man in presumed Tigrigna, local music
and impassioned speech by man followed. Nice signal.
http://users.erols.com/meskerem/ is their website and a quick look
shows archived programs, but the latest are from the beginning of
July. 1727 IS, and ID in Arabic. News sounding more like a long
communiqué was then read. (Johnson Aug 30) I listened to the
beginning of one of their archived broadcasts. They announced the
following schedule: Thursdays 8-9 PM Eritrean time on 15670 in Arabic
and Tigrigna and for Europe Saturdays 6-7 PM? Central European Time
on 5925 (via Johnson Aug 26, Cumbre DX via DXLD)
** ERITREA/ETHIOPIA. Further to my report of 28th August, listened to
Voice of the Tigray Revolution again at 0315 UT on 31st August on
5500 kHz to record and check ID and found that the programme opening
at that time appears to be that of Voice of Peace and Democracy of
Eritrea, rather than Voice of the Tigray Revolution. Although I
wouldn't guess at what the exact ID is, little doubt that Eritrea is
the subject. Presumably the language is Tigrigna.
BBCM issued a schedule in March 2000 which confirms Voice of Peace
and Democracy of Eritrea, a broadcast of the People's Democratic
Forces of Eritrea, is indeed aired daily at 0315-0400 UT via the
facilities of Voice of the Tigray Revolution on 5500 and 6315 kHz.
I haven't confirmed yet that Voice of Tigray Revolution follows with
its own programming at 0400 UT, but BBCM schedule says it does (Tony
Rogers, Birmingham - UK, AOR 7030+/LW, BDXC-UK via DXLD)
** ETHIOPIA [non]. CLANDESTINE from USA to ETHIOPIA
15685, [via WWCR] Voice of Tigrayans from North America: Nothing new
on their website concerning radio broadcasts. Did see news that the
Tigrian International Solidarity for Justice and Democracy (TSJD) had
its founding congress Aug 25 in Washington, D.C. Did hear another
one-day test at 2100 on Aug 30 [Thu] (Johnson Aug 30, Cumbre DX via
DXLD)
CLANDESTINE from GERMANY to ETHIOPIA: Voice of Oromo Liberation (SBO)
has made some changes. Their broadcast used to be an hour long, all
in presumed Oromo and Amharic. When I heard them today, they came on
at 1700 but with a different opening music/IS. Lots of mentions of
Oromo, but no ID. Off at 1729 and right back on with another program
which ended at 1759. Sounded like the same announcer but in a
different language. Looking at their website they now have archived
programs of 29 minutes duration each in both Amharic and presumed
Oromo.
Listening to the files, each has its own opening music/interval
signal. The Oromo service has the interval signal we have heard over
the years and the Amharic service has a new one. It looks like they
have simply split the segments down the middle and given each a bit
of identity. They have also changed the days of the week they are on.
SBO is now on Wed, Fri, and Sun 1700-1759 on 15715. [drop Thu, add
Wed]. The station was off from July 22nd until August 8th, when they
returned with the new schedule. Their website also has a station
history, extracts follow:
Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo (SBO) is a radio program in Afaan Oromoo
(the Oromo Language). SBO started broadcasting in June 1988 with a
daily half hour transmission in Afaan Oromoo. Gradually, this was
raised to 2 hours of Afaan Oromoo and 45 minutes of Amharic language
programs by 1990. Unfortunately, the program terminated in June 1992
due to circumstances beyond the control of the organisation. It
commenced transmission again in August 1995. [very interesting- They
were on via WWCR in Mar 1993 and WHRI from Feb to Apr 1995, why no
mention?- Johnson] Oromia, which was conquered and annexed by
Ethiopian emperors at the end of the last century, today constitutes
one-third to one half of Ethiopia's land area. Nearly 50% of the
inhabitants of Ethiopia are Oromo. Because it is a crucial unifying
and identifying mark of the Oromo nation, Afaan Oromoo was target for
the repressive policies of successive Ethiopian regimes, whose aim
was amharising the empire through the destruction of the cultures and
languages of the non-Amhara nationalities.
The prohibition had a devastating effect not only on the development
of the Oromo language itself, but also on the overall socio-economic
and cultural development of the Oromo people. For the vast majority
of the Oromo who live in rural areas, the prohibition meant a total
lack of access to vital information on issues such as improved
agricultural methods, animal husbandry, child-health, family planning
and environmental protection. Even if Afaan Oromo, after a long
political struggle, is now accepted as a medium for education and
administration in Oromia, nothing is being done to reach the vast
majority of the Oromo, who live in the rural areas with no
information on appropriate technology, health, democracy,
environmental protection, etc.
Today, the state owned Ethiopian radio allocates a few hours a week
to broadcasting in Afaan Oromoo, but much of this air time is spent
on the ruling regime's propaganda.
Objectives of SBO
SBO has been on air again since August 1995, and broadcasts its
programs 3 hours a week on 15,715 kHz SW on the 19 meter band and
focuses on Northeast Africa with special focus on the Horn of Africa.
The broadcasting time will be increased depending on the availability
of funds. SBO aims to provide information to its listeners in the
following fields: news, democracy and human rights, culture and
language, economy and environment, health education, gender issues.
Funding: SBO is running with the generosity of individuals, Oromo
communities, and governmental and non-governmental organisations.
[what government? what NGO? - Johnson] (via Johnson Aug 26, Cumbre DX
via DXLD)
** EUROPE. CLASSIC ROCK RADIO. I will let you now that we will start
with broadcasting on 2 September 2001 in the 41m band on 7470 kHz.
We will start at 0400 UT, first for America and other outside
countries in Europe in S.S.B. mode and then at about 0700 we will
repeat the program for Europe in A.M. modulation. You understand that
we ONLY give you classic rock music and we hope that you enjoy the
music. I think there a lot of older listeners on short wave that
like this kind of music. You can also look for info on our webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/classicrockradio
We will use the P O Box 663 in Hoogeveen, citycode 7900AR,
Netherlands. Set on the letter of course Classic Rock Radio because
there are more stations that use the same PO box. (alfa lima,
bandonica, votn, enterprise, E.C.H., union, astoria). Also e-mail for
reports etc is always welcome. Greetings from your rock station on
short wave (Yahoo SW Pirates group via Mike Barraclough, DXLD)
Van: The Dude rreh917@hotmail.com
Possible 16M relay this Labor Day Monday 3rd September
E.H. Pirate Relay Service!
Hey there DX'ers!!! 'Hopefully this Monday 9/3/2001, Labour Day, on
17.490 MHz USB, from 1400 to 1800 UT, at about 75 watts. Depending on
our situation and band conditions, one or more relays of various
stations could happen! With updated QSL addresses... So let's end
Summer 2001 with a DX BANG!!! And hope those thunder storms stay away
then... Happy DX'ing!!! Happy Labour Day!!! And let's hope for good
propagation!!! 73's!!!
The Dude, E.H. Pirate Relay Service!!! The Alternative To 6955 In
North America!!! reply to rreh917@hotmail.com
(Yahoo SW pirates group via Mike Barraclough, DXLD)
Van? So is this a Dutch pirate? Labour? So is this British or
Canadian? Alt to 6955? So is this American? (gh, DXLD)
** FINLAND. Hasn't the Latin broadcast of YLE been on a tenuous
hiatus recently? From the website (what fun! to read the news and how
GW Bush gets mangled), it seems to be back.
http://www.yle.fi/fbc/latini/
(Daniel Say, BC, who almost finds it easy to scan your digest, but as
with reading most web, would like skips and more detailed ToC at top,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FINLAND. SWR is making it here to Montana!!! Weak @ 0130 but
getting better. Mix of EG/FN languages. R&R songs but couldn't make
out the titles. Much T-storm static. AR-7030 w/ 30 meter long wire.
(Terry Palmersheim, KC7LDP/FOØPAM, hard-core-dx via DXLD)
Heard in Portland, Oregon, USA, from 0243 until 0408 when the signal
deteriorated here. WJ8712P, RX-340, Ewe antenna. My name was
mentioned at 0332 after sending in an email reception report (Don
Nelson, Beaverton, Oregon, UT Sat Sept 1, hard-core-dx via DXLD)
See DXLD 1-118 for presumed frequencies! (gh, DXLD)
** FRANCE [non]. La présence de RFi à New York sur la station FM WNYE
est gravement menacée. WNYE devrait être transformée en station de
musique classique. Une décision devrait être prise le 12 septembre.
Ce n'est d'ailleurs pas la première fois que la présence de RFI à New
York est menacée. Il y a peu de temps, WNYE projetait de supprimer la
tranche matinale de la radio mondiale. Une monopolisation
exceptionnelle avait permis de faire échouer ce projet. RFI demande
une réaction de ses auditeurs qui pourront signer une pétition sur
http://www.rfi.fr (Benoît Morin et site de RFI - 31 août 2001; les
informations sont issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via
DXLD)
** GERMANY. re: Radio stations SFB and ORB to merge by 2004
Indeed a merger of Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) and Ostdeutscher
Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB) became suddenly a topical issue when the
coalition of the CDU and SPD parties at Berlin came to its end. It is
also true that no statements about details was made so far, away from
a general one, that the new institution, which is rumoured to be
called "Ostdeutscher Rundfunk", will equally maintain both locations,
Berlin/Masurenallee and Potsdam-Babelsberg.
Perhaps some background details are of interest: In 1991 the original
plan to establish a common broadcasting institution of Berlin,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen-Anhalt and Brandenburg failed.
Instead Sachsen-Anhalt joined Sachsen (Saxonia) and Thüringen
(Thuringia) in establishing the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), while
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern joined the existing state-treaty about
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). This left Brandenburg alone, and it was
decided to establish its own institution instead of concluding a
treaty with Berlin about a common one, because this would have
unavoidably resulted in a simple take-over of additional
responsibility area by SFB.
Certainly it would take things too far to describe the rather
complicated developments since then, so just let me mention that also
DT64 was involved in this story (it was carried in the first half of
1992 also by ORB until they finally put it aside) and that in 1997 a
far-reaching radio cooperation came into effect but was again
reshuffled back in last year. So it remains to be seen how things
will further develop.
Headquarters of SFB is the "Haus des Rundfunks", the old radiohouse
at Masurenallee in Berlin, a building with a rather moved history.
This radiohouse was built in the thirties as headquarters of German
radio and was from 1945 used by Berliner Rundfunk, which became a
part of GDR radio. In 1950, if I remember the year correctly, GDR
radio was forced out of Haus des Rundfunks; first the main power
supply was disrupted (but evidently never the audio circuits for
whatever reason), then the building was blocked off by the Allied
Forces. The staff inside the building, amongst them well-known GDR TV
commentator Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, stayed there and continued to
broadcast until a training facility at Berlin-Grünau (the one later
used for the 904 clandestine project) was ready to take over. At this
time it was already decided to establish new radio headquarters at
Nalepastraße; the studio equipment at Haus des Rundfunks was
dismantled and the building finally handed-over to the authorities of
West Berlin.
Today only three networks broadcast from there anymore: "88Acht", the
former SFB 1, "Radio Kultur", which can be considered as successor of
SFB 3 although using another FM frequency now as a result of the
complicated developments since 1997, and "SFB 4 Multikulti", a new
multi-cultural network ("Inforadio", another network of SFB, has a
"glass studio" on the TV buildings). One gets the impression that
there is no longer much live within this building when walking
through the long, bent corridors. When entering a certain one already
the red light can be seen far away; especially interesting there the
really old-style announcers` cubicles with wooden walls. The
architecture is depressing and the design of the house rather
confused; allegedly not even Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler managed to
know it in full. Many people say that they feel buried when entering
this building, which seems to symbolize the situation of German
radio. I note that the red light still burns.
PS. I just received word that the current 104.1 transmissions at
Berlin originate from the post office in the Kreuzberg district, an
old FM site which is no longer in regular use in favour of the
meanwhile upgraded and expanded Fernsehturm (Alexanderplatz)
facilities.
PPS. Perhaps you will find it interesting how much the just
advertised "kitchen radio" for DAB/Eureka-147 costs: About DEM 5000.
(Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY. I checked the 5975 transmissions 0945 30th August,
digital noise clearly received between 5968 and 5982. (Mike
Barraclough, World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
** GERMANY. RE: Digital Radio on the run in Germany – DXLD 1117
Germany’s chancellor Gerhard Schröder can give big promises -- such as
``radio will be digital in 2105`` -- on the IFA fair in Berlin, it
won`t cost him a penny -- broadcasting regulation is a länder issue
in this country. And this puts the process into the mills of
provincial bureaucracy. There`s no central authority to regulate
standards, frequency and company access to the new DAB technology;
instead each of the sixteen German federal states is baking its own
little cake.
This, however, is a great obstacle for the market introduction of
DAB. Any initiative to coördinate is loaded on the shoulders of
equipment manufacturers, while programme deliverers focus still on
old analogue technologies. Even the public broadcasting corporations,
heavily powered with the viewers` fee money, don`t want to invest in
this insecure situation.
Recently spoke on the phone to a technician of the HR in
Frankfurt/Main. He even stated that DAB is already too ``old-
fashioned`` and no more up-to-date. Maybe in 2015 broadcasting will
be completely digital, but that includes as well technologies like
DRM or future mp4-formats. Additionally, content distribution will
also take place on the UMTS networks, and this will accelerate the
fusion of internet and broadcasting, as it already does broadband
internet via DSL etc. The economical focus will be this technology,
and not DAB which can suffer a fate like MAC television or DSR
digital radio did already ten years ago. Greetings and best 73's,
(Sascha A. Zimmer, Italy, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 'All India Radio' to lease out towers to private FM
broadcasters
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Information & Broadcasting ministry has decided to allow
'All India Radio' to lease out its towers to private FM broadcasters
with a view to speed up the start of FM channels in various cities in
India. This was done to cut costs & time to set up separate towers by
each of the private broadcasters. Licenses were issued in Dec 2000 &
the licencees are required to complete the installation of the
broadcast facility by 29th Dec 2001. With this decision it is
expected that 37 new radio channels would start operating in
different cities by Dec 2001. (Condensed from news reports published
in Hindustan Times 8/30 & Times Of India 8/31) Warm Regards, (Alokesh
Gupta, New Delhi, India, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 4606, RRI Serui: Full data prepared card received in 7
weeks for an Indonesian f/up report, audio tape, and mint stamps
(used) sent via registered mail from Hungary. This was in response to
a March, 2000 reception. There are two v/s on the card. One appears
to be Y. Kaisiu, the other is Mika Numberi, Asistem Manajer. This
card was mailed as a postcard, and wasn't enclosed in an envelope. I
use 67 pound cover stock for printing my own cards, and surprisingly
the card survived the long journey without any damage (George Maroti,
Cumbre DX Aug 31 via DXLD)
** IRAQ. 06/08/2001, 11787 kHz, 1909 UT, Radio Iraq International in
English with Iraq music and comments about UN sanctions against
Iraq... Reception quality variable between SIO 322 and 311 (Vitor
Carneiro, Portugal, Signal via DXLD)
** IRELAND. [BDXC-UK] Ireland - Little drama as radios are switched
off From The Irish Times (via Alex Jenkins): By Harry Browne
Somewhere in the Dublin mountains, there's an antenna stuck to a
wall. A cable runs from the antenna into a shed, where it connects to
a device in the corner about the size of a small suitcase. The device
is a radio transmitter, and it beams out dance music, or country,
indie rock, jazz or pop. Or at least it used to. Because this time-
tested little arrangement of equipment, repeated two or three dozen
times in these hills, and reproduced as many more times around the
rest of the State, has been subjected to an unprecedented crackdown.
Pirate radio is being systematically switched off.
The Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation (ODTR)
claims it has caused no fewer than 36 unlicensed transmitters to go
off air in the past several weeks. This zealous cleansing of the
airwaves, the removal of most of the State's radio stations, has been
accompanied by little drama, publicity - or resistance.
Unlike in 1983, when the late Chris Cary's Radio Nova was raided
after it got too big for its unlicensed breeches, officials have
scarcely gone after the station operators at all; many run legitimate
businesses alongside their city studios, and disrupting them could
get legally messy. Instead, ODTR officials have been painstakingly
tracking down those suitcase-size transmitters which simply pump out
a signal that's relayed from a studio. Then they've laid down the law
to the people who own the land where the gear is located, knocking on
doors and sending threatening letters (including an attachment from
the non-existent-since-1997 "Minister for Transport, Energy and
Communications").
And so, thanks to what the ODTR crowingly calls this "high-impact,
low-resource" approach, the airwaves are being made safe for the
corporate broadcasters who have paid to monopolise them.
Like the IT sector, which was delighted to extol the virtues of "free
markets" when times were good but now expects ever-more Government
assistance, the entrepreneurs of licensed commercial radio are
inclined to be picky about the sort of competition they welcome. The
pirating backgrounds of many legitimate broadcasters notwithstanding,
they openly seek to eliminate competitors who don't face the same
costs and regulations that they do.
The ODTR doesn't deny that it had heard complaints from legal
broadcasters who were browned off at the impunity of the pirates. It
says, however, that the campaign against illegal transmitters has
nothing to do with the imminent arrival of more commercial stations,
including two ambitious and politically well connected ones in
Dublin: a dance-led station, Spin FM (where accountant Ossie Kilkenny
is pulling the strings and Denis O'Brien is in the background), and
country station Star FM (led by former Crimeline presenter David
Harvey).
Pirate-radio insiders are inclined to be sceptical. They point to the
fact that the first Dublin hilltop targeted last month was home to -
you guessed it - dance- and country music pirates. "Pure
coincidence," says the ODTR. Its spokeswoman pointed out that the
ODTR's campaign goes right around the State. She could not, however,
offer an adequate explanation as to why 2001 is the right time to
enforce legislation that dates from 1926 and 1988, explaining only
that this new scare-the-landowner strategy has been about a year in
the making.
If a State agency had shut down the printing presses of 36 local
newspapers, there would be uproar. We're less inclined to think of
music broadcasts as free speech; moreover, most of us buy the line
about the airwaves being a finite resource that needs careful
protection. To be sure, few people would argue that frequencies
allotted in a public and accountable process to licensed operators
shouldn't be reasonably protected from interference. Still fewer
would say that emergency channels shouldn't be kept clear. However,
this crackdown goes far beyond such concerns; in fact, before the
purge, the busy Dublin FM spectrum had by and large been a good
example of people behaving responsibly without regulation. Anarchy in
action, if you like.
We can't quantify how important pirate stations are, or were, to
listeners: the JNLR ratings - commissioned and controlled by a
committee that includes the legal broadcasters - do not include
unlicensed stations. Certainly, when pirates promote, say, , dance
events, they can easily attract hundreds of people without
advertising anywhere but on air. In Limerick, Galtee Radio is
widely seen as giving the licensed stations a run for their money -
local businesses know it and advertise heavily. (Ludicrously, these
advertisers could be liable for prosecution.) It's hardly a
coincidence that, as I write, Limerick is the only place where most
pirates stubbornly fly the flag.
"Money talks," one seasoned radio observer told me this week, and a
handful of pirates can earn good money from ads and events. Money's
voice, he said, will carry Dublin's illegal transmitters back into
the mountains, into new sheds and garages, where the chase can begin
again.
See http://www.radiowaves.fm for the latest news on pirate-radio
shutdowns and returns (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD)
** IRELAND. [BDXC-UK] For Sale: One Offshore Radio Station, Fully-
Equipped Studios, High-Power Transmitter...
From: http://www.theradiomagazine.co.uk/ 31 August 2001
RTL is still trying to secure a buyer for Atlantic 252, the 600kW
station which has studios and transmission facilities in Ireland, and
in which it has an 80% shareholding. Atlantic 252's format can be
changed without referral to the Irish Government, who issued the
licence, and in which Ireland's public service broadcaster, RTE, has
a 20% stake. The frontline contender for buying the station, for
which RTL was seeking as much as £50,000,000, appears to be Oneword.
Oneword is the national digital speech-format station currently
operational in the United Kingdom on the Digital One multiplex. The
station is jointly owned by Guardian Media Group (33%), UBC (33%) and
Cartitech Holdings. Guardian Media Group has more than £200,000,000
available for acquisitions. Oneword broadcasts plays, books and
spoken word programming. MORE SHORTLY
(PS - I wonder if "Atlantic 252's format can be changed without
referral to the Irish Government" is meant to read "Atlantic 252's
format cannot be changed without referral to the Irish Government" -
Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) Evidently not, from later exchange (gh)
Atlantic 252 - Oneword bids for round the clock talk
Glenn, This station has a wide coverage of the British Isles and some
of Northern Europe as it is high power on Long Wave. I expect its
been an occasional DX catch in the States as well although Algeria
has a station on the same frequency. This article was is "The
Scotsman" newspaper: (Mike Terry, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Oneword radio station, which is part-owned by the Guardian Media
group, is in talks to buy rival broadcaster Atlantic 252 from German
giant the RTL Group for around £50m. Oneword has plans to turn
Atlantic 252 into a 24 hour talking book channel.
Guardian Media Group owns a third of Oneword. The other owners are
AIM-listed UBC Media, Chivers Communications and Heavy Entertainment.
The offer, currently under consideration by the RTL board, comes
after months of negotiations in which several bidders have shown
interest in the £50m music station.
Oneword is tipped as the likely winner. One RTL source said: "The
Atlantic sale has dragged on for months and everyone is keen to get
it out of the way as quickly as possible. Oneword's offer is
therefore much more likely to succeed than if it had come when
Atlantic was first put up for grabs."
Oneword is known for serialisations of bestselling books by authors
such as Proust and Joanna Trollope, read by big name actors and
broadcast for 18 hours a day.
Guardian Media Group has set aside £200m for acquisitions in order to
diversify its business away from print. Chief Executive Bob Phillis
says the company is ripe for expansion and radio is the way forward.
To that end, John Myers was brought in from Border Radio Holdings,
where he launched the highly successful Century brand.
GMG has a 14% stake in Jazz FM and 7% of Radio Investments - which in
turn owns stakes in nearly 30 stations from Central FM in Stirling to
Isle of Wight Radio.
In Digital radio, GMG is aiming for a position in nearly every big
city, and Myers has also been snapping up the last of the analogue
radio licences. It already owns Real Radio in South Wales, but lost
out to Scottish Media Group in the fight for Virgin.
One analyst explained: "The tie-up between Guardian Media Group and
Oneword was seen as ideal as it fits in with Myers' belief that
digital radio is on the point of exploding in the UK. Oneword is both
a digital radio station and a company run by people with a real drive
for change.
"GMG is rumoured to be considering floating Trader Media Group, which
owns Auto Trader, in order to raise something in the order of a
billion pounds for yet more in the way of acquisitions."
For Oneword, Atlantic 252 is an attractive proposition. It broadcasts
on long wave and therefore it comes outside the regulation of radio
station ownership.
Normally there is a limit to the number of stations any one company
can own, but Atlantic is exempt from these rules.
Moreover, this exemption from regulatory interference means the
station's format can be changed easily and without any prior
permission or consultation.
Oneword Radio was the surprise winner of Sony's Gold Award for best
terrestrial digital station earlier this year, just 12 months after
it was formed.
It has already acquired the rights to broadcast more than 500 books
and has signed up names such as Sir Michael Caine, Dame Judi Dench
and Derek Jacobi to act as narrators.
Hilary Douglas, Sunday, 26th August 2001, Scotland on Sunday
(via Mike Terry, UK, Sept 1, DXLD)
** ISRAEL. 15785, Galei Zahal, 0530 Sept 1, VG signal with "Arutz
Sheva" program (Paul Ormandy, Oamaru, New Zealand, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** JORDAN. Please forward to MM in Finland: Jordan produces spurious
signals of the 7155 fundamental, as reported in past months/years by
a lot of DXers. 7155 1600-1900 11-14,46S AKA 500 kW 245 degrs JOR JRT
JRT So try also symmetrical 7155 + 170 kHz = 7325, on the upper side.
And check in this autumn, whether the signal appears just before 1600
UT, and drops out at around 1900 UT. 73 wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel,
Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBERIA. My read on this is different from some others. I believe
that existing accepted stations, ELWA, ELBC, and LCN, will be allowed
to continue. Star Radio and Radio Veritas can forget ever getting
back on shortwave in Liberia. I see this story as simply a
verbalization of a defacto situation that has been going on for quite
some time. Star Radio was closed down in March 2000. Radio Veritas
was closed down at the same time and was allowed to resume
broadcasting, but only on FM. It does help to explain, however, why
High Adventures is now planning to built their shortwave station in
Nigeria instead of Liberia, which was their plan about a year ago.
I think the real story here is the claim that ELBC is still on
shortwave. In 1999 I spoke with a guy at an NGO in Liberia. A station
called Hope Radio had donated its shortwave transmitter to ELBC to
replace the one that the Nigerian government had previous loaned to
ELBC [once on 7275]. The transmitter was a Yaesu transceiver hooked
to a linear amplifier that Hope had operated on 3955 and 6180. The
NGO source added that he thought that ELBC might also return to 7275
or one of ELBC's other pre-civil war frequencies. Past reports to
Cumbre DX have ELBC signing on just before 0700 when it operated on
7275; perhaps this is still a good time to check (Hans Johnson, Aug
26, Cumbre DX)
I was thinking the same thing because the headline of the BBCM report
said ``no additional SW``, while the body implied no SW at all (gh)
** MOLDOVA. Glenn, I somehow managed to miss the following from the
Radio Romania International Summer 2001 schedule.
RMI - Radio Moldova International --- You can listen to Radio Moldova
International on this address: http://www.trm.md/Radio
73, (-.. . Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. We will use a new frequency of 7420 kHz (instead of 7370)
for our R. Gardarika relay at 1800-2030 UT starting on September 2
(Mikhail Timiofeyev, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard-core-dx via DXLD)
** RWANDA. La radio nationale peut être désormais captée sur
Internet. L'émission inaugurale de Radio Rwanda a été lancée mardi 31
juillet, au grand bonheur des Rwandais qui vivent à l'étranger, a
rapporté le journal indépendant "The New Times". Selon certains
observateurs à Kigali, l'introduction des programmes de Radio Rwanda
sur le Net constitue la plus grande réussite de l'Office rwandais de
l'information (Orinfor) depuis le génocide de 1994. "La joie et les
remarques positives que Radio Rwanda a suscitées chez les Rwandais
vivant à l'étranger montrent que nous avons besoin de toucher la
communauté rwandaise hors de nos frontières", a indiqué Joseph
Bideri, directeur de Orinfor. Radio Rwanda peut être écoutée sur
http://www.orinfor.gov.rw
Orinfor gère également une chaîne de télévision et deux quotidiens,
l'un, "Imvaho Nshya" (la nouvelle vérité) publié en kinyarwanda, la
langue nationale, et l'autre, "La Nouvelle Relève" en français.
Radio Rwanda est la première station de radio publique de toute la
région, à émettre sur Internet. (Institut Panos - 24 août 2001 -- les
informations sont issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via
DXLD)
** TATARSTAN. For all DXers who collect stamps:
Russian post issued a stamp featuring one of Kazan Kremlin towers.
Tatarstan Radio & TV Company has such stamps in stock, and offers
them to DXers via its QSL manager. In order to get the stamp, you
should send a reception report on the broadcast of any radio station
belonging to the Company (Voice of Tatarstan, Radio Tatarstana,
Kazan-UKV, Bulgar FM).
QSL Manager asks you to refund the expenses: 1 IRC for the cancelled
stamp on the QSL, 2 IRCs or $1 for the mint stamp.
Additional collection set of 14 Russian stamps is available, as well.
It costs 4 IRC. Write to:
Ildus Ibatullin, P.O.Box 134, Kazan, Tatarstan, 420136, Russia.
Below are schedules of Tatarstan Radio & TV Company outlets:
Voice of Tatarstan
0400-0500 11665 kHz to Far East
0600-0700 9690 kHz to Central Asia
0800-0900 11925 kHz to Northern Europe, relayed (except Monday) for
Tatarstan on 252 kHz and 68.48 MHz
Radio Tatarstana
252 kHz and 68.48 MHz
Mo-Fr: 0200-0400, 0410-0440, 1410-1500, 1510-1630
Sa: 0200-1015
Su: 0200-1215
All stations broadcast in Russian and Tatar
(Ildus Ibatullin, Kazan, Russia, Signal via DXLD)
** TURKEY. Lately I`ve noted an exceptional signal from VOT at 03 UT
on 11655. Checking the TRT and VoT websites proved to be a disaster.
The VoT at http://www.tsr.gov.tr gives a server access error message,
and the TRT page at http://www.trt.net.tr now only works with the
MSIE browser. A single line of JavaScript attached to a logo opens a
new, commercial-filed full-srceen window, promoting everything
Turkish. Netscape users just see the logo, and that`s it. I`m
investigating... (Tom Sundstrom, Net Notes, Sept NASWA Journal via
DXLD)
** U K. Trevor Brook is still in correspondence with the Office of
Fair Trading regarding the Government`s continuing refusal to grant
him a licence to run an independent shortwave transmitter. His latest
letter, sent on the 23rd July, says: "You have reiterated why the
present situation does not infringe my human rights but not dealt
with the matter of freedom to operate a business where a limited
resource may have to be divided amongst traders. I drew the
historical parallel between permits for more than one British carrier
to operate transatlantic flights, and licensing on short wave.
Richard Branson could buy a ticket to New York on British Airways,
yet could not fly his own airline there because of the policy of a
public body. This is equivalent to myself being prevented from
trading and competing as a short wave broadcaster.
In his interview on 20 July on BBC Radio 4, John Vickers stated that
the OFT was "explicitly a pro-market organisation... hungry for
evidence of people breaking competition laws" and keen to deal with
"even restrictions coming from government rules and regulations".
Since the Radiocommunications Agency refuses to sell a short wave
licence to anyone other than Merlin, surely it is an undertaking
engaged in commercial or economic activity which prevents competition
and hence is covered by the Act?" (Trevor Brook, World DX Club
Contact via DXLD)
If any member wishes to make similar points to the Office of Fair
Trading to make them more aware of this abuse of power, their address
is: Director General John Vickers, Office of Fair Trading, Fleetbank
House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX (Mike Barraclough, Sept
World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
** U K [non]. I was just looking at the WBCQ website and their
program schedule seems to be filling up. Does anyone know what the
status is of their plans to pick up some BBCWS programs? (Sandy
Finlayson, Ont., Aug 31, swprograms via DXLD)
They've been quiet about that which means one of two things...things
are heating up or they've been pushed off the burner entirely. :-)
Just a personal impression, though. I don't think that's going
anywhere. WBCQ exists by stations paying them to carry programs. The
BBC seems determined that they will be the ones to be paid. It's hard
to see how that gap would be bridged (John Figliozzi, ibid.)
** U K [non}. Fi Glover, whose excellent travel/radio book "I'm an
Oil Tanker, Travels with my Radio" I am reading at present, was on
BBC Radio 2 today (Friday) as a guest of Steve Wright. Her book is
superb and very much about DXing. She visits some interesting
stations around the world and even gives London pirates a few
mentions. A real treat! This is a must for keen travellers and DXers
as she is dedicated to both and enjoys listening and visiting true
independent and local radio, which sadly is getting harder to find in
the world. Published by Ebury Press at £9.99 in paperback (audio
abridged version also available at £8.99). (Mike Terry, UK, Aug 31,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Subject: That book again!
Don't want to overdo this but couldn't resist sharing this excellent
review, read some more today & it continues to impress :
BOOK REVIEW: I AM AN OIL-TANKER
From: http://www.transdiffusion.org/rmc/features/glover.asp
Published by Ebury Press, 2001 ISBN: 0091877865
Fi Glover is an acclaimed BBC Radio Five Live broadcaster who began
her career at the BBC's smallest local station Somerset Sound, later
worked for GLR, flirted with television in The Travel Show and now
hosts Five Live's late show.
Glover is a self-confessed radio anorak whose first priority, when
checking into any hotel room anywhere is to tune in the bedside radio
to whatever local station takes her fancy. The Travel Show having
given her a dose of wanderlust, she decides to travel to various far-
flung parts of the world and discover them through their local radio
stations. For some reason she has not made a radio programme about
this, she has instead written a book, presumably because there was
more money in a book. There's certainly very little in radio (and
even less in web sites!).
I am an Oil Tanker is a travel book, in much the same way that Bill
Bryson's books are and we are immediately as interested in the person
doing the travelling as we are in the journey itself.
The first thing I do when I pick up a book to read it is look for a
list of chapter titles to give me some idea of what might lie in
store. This doesn't work with Terry Pratchett books but in this case
we get:
1. Are you the girl on the radio this morning?
2. I'm feeling a bit grantic today
3. I am Frank Warren
4. And then he puked up over the minister
5. Why isn't there any radio porn?
6. We have the technology to take you to hell
7. Where do retired air stewardesses go?
8. I just love your value system
9. Gene Hackman has a jackal of a day
10. Maybe I'll stay a while
11. I haven't forgotten the chutney
So we're clearly going to have a varied and interesting time in the
company of a girl with a fully working sense of humour as our guide!
At the start of the book we find ourselves unceremoniously plonked in
North California at a radio station whose breakfast show appears to
be being presented by a couple of 'good old boys' who are absolutely
full of it, and yet their programme connected with its audience and
the phone-in element seemed to be the show's saving grace. I guess
you had to be there.
In complete contrast chapter 2 takes us to Austria, and specifically
to Blue Danube Radio, a wonderful station with an educational remit
aimed at the international traveller. Sadly, at the time of her visit
BDR is about to be closed, to be replaced by new and trendy Fear FM.
Fear FM will not be, as it happens, a completely different station
but one staffed by exactly the same people working in the very same
building. But fortunately for us the change has not yet happened at
the time of Glover's visit, and the book is well worth reading just
for this chapter alone.
The Frank Warren bit comes in because Glover gets given Frank
Warren's ticket for Euro 2000, so we're on our way to a small opt-out
outpost of Five Live at Charleroi in Belgium. This gives us a
fascinating insight into the way BBC radio manages to function on a
budget worth slightly less than half a pair of shoelaces. (I presume
this is what people mean when they say shoestring?)
Succeeding chapters then fling us to Beirut and Southern Lebanon, New
York, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, New York again, Chicago, Montserrat
and Taunton, spending just enough time in each place to regain enough
composure to steal a few hotel towels.
I particularly enjoyed her visits to Palm Springs, where she sampled
KJJZ's brand of Cool Jazz and Montserrat, where Radio Montserrat
proved to be the cement which held the island together both during
and after the eruption of the islands once 'dormant' volcano.
To say that this book is readable is an understatement. Fi Glover has
a wonderful writing style in which she holds little of herself back.
In Beirut she tells us of the "roasty toasty heat" of the Lebanon:
"we are all dripping with sweat -- obviously I could at this point
pretend that I was simply perspiring slightly but I wasn't, I was
drenched - I suggest we stay under the shade of the trees in the
garden to chat amicably about how he got to be a DJ in the middle of
a war zone. This is the army after all - no time for idle chit-chat."
Fi Glover is the perfect companion on this trip around bits of the
globe and the book is well worth a tenner. There is also an abridged
audiobook available at nine pounds.
And the title...? Well, if you don't know the story, you'll have to
buy the book for the explanation! By Mike Brown
(via Mike Terry, UK, Sept 1, DXLD)
** U S A. 1630, KKWY WY, Fox Farm 0800 [EDT?] 8/31 fighting the huge
OC of XEUT and playing C&W then into ToH ID. Slogan used was "Spirit
of Wyoming." It was very unusual that they have decent power today
and it makes me wonder if they have done something with their wire
antenna (Kevin Redding, Mesa, Arizona, NRC-AM via DXLD)
** U S A. WFCR? World For Christ Radio: Could this be America's
newest shortwave station? This is the brainchild of Charles Riddle.
Riddle tells Cumbre DX he has no transmitter, no antenna, or
construction permit. He does have a plan to purchase a 500,000 watt
transmitter and to broadcast Christian programs to Central and South
America. The cost of the transmitter is 1.2 million dollars, which
Riddle says he will raise by selling some property he has. Riddle has
purchased land for a station in Green Mountain, North Carolina, but
he is also considering sites in West Virginia or Maine. Purchasing an
existing station is out of the question; he just won't do that. In
spite of the glut of Christian stations in the American shortwave
market, Riddle believes that he will be able to sell airtime for
Christians wanting to reach Latin America at $90 per half hour.
Riddle estimates that his station is two years away. He's met with
Tom Polzin of the FCC's International Bureau and with engineers from
HCJB. Beyond that, all he has is a website
http://www.worldforchristradio.com/ which includes further details.
(DIRECT Johnson Cumbre DX Aug 30 via DXLD)
Including a SW Frequency of ``17.5 Mega Hz`` (gh, DXLD)
** U S A. We were checking to see if a Web page had been created for
WWFV8s new sister station. I think the call is WWCV (Christian
Voice). Guess what? WWFV.com and WWCV.com loop you through a soft
porn Web site. Oh well... heh! (Tom Sundstrom, NJ, Net Notes, Sept
NASWA Journal via DXLD)
** U S A. Hi Glenn. I have taken over the QSL duty here at Delano. I
am working with Washington people to get back to doing system wide
QSLing again, like at Bethany. Station address is: John Vodenik, IBB
Delano, 11015 Melcher Rd., Delano, CA 93215. Talk to you again soon.
(John Vodenik, Aug 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Tnx to tip from Tom Sundstrom, WWCR`s updated skeds:
A01 Summer Schedule
Transmitter #1 - 100 KW - 46 Degrees
FREQ TIME (CDT) TIME (UTC) DATES
9.475 4:00AM- 5:00AM 0900-1000 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
15.685 5:00AM- 5:00PM 1000-2200 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
9.475 5:00PM- 7:00PM 2200-0000 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
3.215 7:00PM- 1:00AM 0000-0600 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
3.210 1:00AM- 4:00AM 0600-0900 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
Transmitter #2 - 100 KW - 85 Degrees
FREQ TIME (CDT) TIME (UTC) DATES
13.845 7:00AM- 8:00PM 1200-0100 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
5.935 8:00PM- 7:00AM 0100-1200 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
Transmitter #3 - 100 KW - 40 Degrees
FREQ TIME (CDT) TIME (UTC) DATES
12.160 7:00AM- 6:00PM 1200-2300 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
5.070 6:00PM- 7:00AM 2300-1200 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
Transmitter #4 - 100 KW - 90 Degrees
FREQ TIME (CDT) TIME (UTC) DATES
9.475 8:00AM- 5:00PM 1300-2200 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
7.460 5:00PM- 8:00AM 2200-1300 01 Sep 01-27 Oct 01
(http://www.wwcr.com Aug 31 via gh, DXLD)
** U S A [clandestine] Steve Anderson ends the "Militia Hour"
Steve Anderson of United Patriot Radio in tonight's "Militia Hour"
program is ranting about a militia leader who called him and told him
that the militia was planning on some kind of action, then they later
canceled it. Apparently Anderson called militia leaders all over the
country and told them about it. Anderson is also whining about buying
some $80 worth of gas to be prepared for whatever it was that was
planned. He's apparently PO'ed enough that he says that tonight is
the last time he's going to air his live "Militia Hour" program. He
will still broadcast three hours a day, but will have other
programming.
Anderson's also whining about nobody taking action in Klamath Falls,
only receiving $10 in donations this week, and about the general
inactivity of the "patriots." Apparently he believes that a total
all-out civil war is past due. It's hard to tell if he's angry
because he called everyone telling them that something was about to
happen and it didn't, or if he's angry simply because no armed
conflict occurred.
One of the past complaints Anderson has had is the lack of donations
to his station. Tonight he's complaining about only having $5 to his
name & not being able to pay his electric, phone, or water bill. It
seems he's expecting all the "patriots" to take care of all his
expenses.
At 0226 he ended his program and put on a program by a preacher named
Buddy Johnson.
(Tom Sevart, rec.radio.shortwave Aug 31 via John Norfolk, DXLD)
CLANDESTINE from/to USA. UPR. Anderson bent out of shape: tonight,
August 31, 2001 [UT Sep 1] at 0228 on 6900, Anderson announced that
the Militia Hour is history! He started the hour at 0200 declaring
that he had been used. He was earlier notified to implement SADD
plans by two separate Militia Commanders and spent all of his money,
$80.00 gassing up his truck with bald tires, and filling extra gas
cans, and had $5.00 left to his name. He really hit a Tony of the
High Desert Militia hard and put the blame on Tony for Anderson
having to pull the station off the air. He made a great sacrifice. He
is a master electrician but has been black-balled because he is a
patriot, but he will survive. No jobs available, but he will get one
flipping burgers. HMMMMMM! He did mention he MAY reconsider later.
Anderson did say he would keep the Intel report, and Christian
Identity up. So, there you have it (Walt Williams, MI, Aug 31, Cumbre
DX via DXLD)
BS stunt to drum up donations. He has done this before and returned.
In my opinion, his ego is simply too big for him to keep his voice
off the air (Hans Johnson, Sep 1, ibid.)
** U S A. WJCR in Upton, Kentucky, has been sold to Rev. Bob Rogers
of Evangel Tabernacle, owner and operator of WBNA-TV 21, WJIE-FM
88.5, and WJIE-AM 680 of Louisville, Kentucky (Cumbre DX Sep 1 via
DXLD) Surprise! No such news to be found on the website
http://www.wjcr.com as of Sept 1 (gh, DXLD)
** U S A. WEVD Is Rodentified
At the stroke of midnight, Saturday of Labor Day weekend, the Eugene
V. Debs memorial station, WEVD, was leased by the Forward Association
to Disney/ESPN.
Gone are Bill Mazer, Ed Koch, and the other liberal-leaning talk
shows.
The brokered shows featuring all natural cures for what ails ye and
investment schemes have, to a large extent, gone to WWRL and other
stations.
Der Forvertz Sho where once they celebrated when Isaac Bashevis
Singer, (whose work appeared first in the Thursday edition of the
then daily Yiddish Forward in serial form) won the Nobel Prize for
Literature. will be on Multicultural.com's WNSW.
(If you go to MC's website with MSIE it invites you to install a
Chinese character set! Multicultural indeed.)
Now New York, which already has CBS/Infinity's WFAN and Sporting
News' WSNR, has a Disney/ESPN radio station -- just what it needs.
One rather wonders why radios come with tuning knobs or buttons if
all the radio stations are to be controlled by a few companies and
carry the Demographically Correct Satellite Network.
I suspect WSNR, caught between two mighty broadcasting conglomerates,
is not long for this world (Joël Rubin, NY, swprograms Sept 1 via
DXLD) WNYE: See FRANCE non
** VATICAN [non]. Indeed Radio Vatican was on 1467 tonight, booming
in until 1820 with Polish, followed by German. 1530 is still on air
but evidently only with modest power anymore; Romania clearly
dominated the frequency. Also 1611 is still in use but was rather
weak tonight, hardly sufficient to bring audio through the local
noise. I wonder how Radio Vatican feeds audio to RMC because 1467 had
a heavy delay of not less than two seconds compared with 5883 (Kai
Ludwig, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VIETNAM [non]. CLANDESTINE from CIS? to VIETNAM
15690, Voice of Khmer Krom, ex 15725 as of Aug 24, per their website.
Fridays 1400-1500 (via Johnson Aug 26) 1402 checking, horrible
conditions today, but a Vietnamese jammer on 15690 (Johnson Aug 31,
Cumbre DX via DXLD)
CLANDESTINE from USA to VIETNAM. Que Huong: Although they still list
12150 on their website, Ludo Maes of the TDP informs us that they
have not used this frequency in quite some time (via Johnson Aug 30,
Cumbre DX via DXLD)
CLANDESTINE? from PALAU to VIETNAM. New Horizon, 15750 or Chan Troi
Moi in Vietnamese. Started listening on Monday, Aug [sic]. This is
High Adventure`s Voice of Hope program in Vietnamese; it has been on
since 1992, initially with a half hour a day and now an hour 1330-
1430 on 15750 (the Bulgarian Observer report of Aug 28 had a typo of
this being the time/freq for VOH in Chinese. I had Richard Lam, a
fluent Chinese speaker, take a listen and he confirms that the
language is indeed Vietnamese.)
So what is the big deal about Chan Tro Moi anyway? Viet Insight
Magazine in 1994 said that, "Chan Troi Moi, which broadcast news of
democratic developments around the world, and more often, activities
from overseas Vietnamese in support of Vietnam's democracy, as
"reactionary, hostile" forces conducting the much-feared "peaceful
evolution" against the communist regime." The program has also
interviewed dissidents over the years and been involved in
publicizing the blight [sic] of persecuted Buddists in Vietnam.
You'll also find its schedule published on Vietnamese dissident
websites such as the National United Front for the Liberation of
Vietnam and the Free Vietnam Alliance. Given the above description
and links, perhaps this one should be classified as a clandestine. I
don't see much difference between what it is carrying and what
Vietnamese-exile programs such as Que Huong and Radio Free Vietnam
carry.
New Horizon is heard in Wyoming with open carrier a few minutes
before *1330. 1330 instrumental, what sounds like ID as above by
woman, then female vocal, and another ID by woman. Rest of program
has been man and woman talking in Vietnamese. A variety of topics
with many mentions of Microsoft today [Aug 29]. I have also heard
actualities in English, but they were too short to give much
additional information. The sign off pattern is similar to the sign
on, same female vocal, same female with presumed ID. No sign of any
jamming here. The address I find on the web for reception reports is
P.O. Box 48 Nishi Yodogawa, Osaka 555- 8691, Japan (Johnson Aug 27-
29, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ###